Dreams & Dreaming: Disciplinary Perspectives & Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities
Friday 25th January 2013 10am – 5pm Room G16, Main Building

This event is free – registration essential

Studying the phenomenon of dreaming can reveal deep and surprising truths about human experience, consciousness, and memory. Academics from disciplines as diverse as psychology, cognitive neuroscience, cultural studies, philosophy, psychoanalytic studies, anthropology and history can agree with this: but what are the ‘truths’ that these various disciplines have discovered and are they compatible with one another?

This workshop will bring together experts on dreaming to present dream research from the perspective of their discipline. It will be an opportunity for those with other disciplinary perspectives to learn from, to challenge, and to explore alternative ways of understanding dreams. It will also be an opportunity for researchers to reflect collectively on the relationship between the ‘folk psychological understanding’ of dreaming and the understanding encoded in their own and others’ disciplinary approaches. The hope is that participants will form a network of experts opening up potential for future collaborative research and projects.

Speakers:
Dr Robin Carhart-Harris (Neuroscience, Imperial college)
Josh Cunliffe (Psychosocial studies, bbk)
Prof Angus Gowland (History, UCL)
Professor Jim Hopkins (KCL)
Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska (Psychoanalysis & Film Studies, BBK)
Dr Hugo Spiers (Neuroscience, UCL)
Dr Laurence Spurling (Psychosocial Studies, BBK)
Prof Charles Stewart (Anthropology, UCL)
Dr Rachael Wiseman (Philosophy, Visiting Fellow, BIH)

Workshop organised by Dr Rachael Wiseman, Visiting Fellow Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities